OutdoorLife - The Best Big-Game Calibers

The Best Big-Game Calibers

Here are Jim Carmichel's picks for the minimum, recommended and best calibers for ten different big-game species. Are you using enough gun on your hunting trips? Find out.

Sep 20, 2007

Pronghorn

Minimum Caliber
.243 Win., 6mm Rem.

Recommended
.250 Savage, .257 Roberts, .25/06 Rem., .257 Wby. Mag., .260 Rem., .264 Win. Mag., .270 Win., .280 Rem., .30/06

Jim's Favorite
.257 Wby. Mag.

Whitetail

Minimum Caliber
.243 Win., 6mm Rem.

Recommended
.250 Savage, .257 Roberts, .25/06, .260 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm/08 Rem., .280 Rem., .30/30, .308 Win., .30/06, .35 Rem.

Jim's Favorite
.260 Rem.

Mule Deer

Minimum Caliber
.250 Savage, .257 Roberts

Recommended
.25/06, .260 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm/08 Rem., .280 Rem., .308 Win., .30/06

Jim's Favorite
.280 Rem.

Caribou

Minimum Caliber
.25/06, .260 Rem., 7mm/08 Rem.

Recommended
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .308 Win., .30/06, any of the 7mm or .300 magnums

Jim's Favorite
7x57 and .280 Rem.

Mountain Goat

Minimum Caliber
.257 Wby. Mag.

Recommended
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .30/06, any of the .270, 7mm or .300 magnums

Jim's Favorite
.270 Win. and .280 Rem.

Sheep

Minimum Caliber
.25/06, .257 Wby. Mag.

Recommended
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .30/06, any of the .270, 7mm or .300 magnums

Jim's Favorite
.280 Rem.

Elk

Minimum Caliber
.25/06, .260 Rem., 7mm/08 Rem., .308 Win.

Recommended
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .30/06, any of the 7mm, .300, or .338 magnums, .325 Win., .338 Win. Mag.

Jim's Favorite
.338 Win. Mag.

Moose

Minimum Caliber
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .308 Win.

Recommended
.30/06, any of the 7mm, .300 or .338 magnums, .325 Win.

Jim's Favorite
.338 Win. Mag.

Black Bear

Minimum Caliber
.30/30 Win.

Recommended
.270 Win., .280 Rem., .308 Win., .30/06, .338 Fed., .35 Rem., .444 Marlin, .45/70

Jim's Favorite
.308 Win.

Grizzly Bear

Minimum Caliber
.30/06 (with 180-gr. or heavier premium bullets)

Recommended
.300 and .338 magnums, .340 Wby. Mag., .375 H&H Mag.

Jim's Favorite
.338 Win. Mag. (with .250-gr. bullets)

Comment on This Article

At 9:39 AM, 2008-10-29, Aaron said:
Ive never shot any thing but a white tail with my 30-06 & i have never had any trouble with it

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At 6:20 PM, 2008-10-24, john said:
o yeah .270 the best there is son

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-09-26, Rob said:
Bullet technology has come a long way. A hunter can do as well with smaller and lighter bullets, within reason, than in the days of O'Conner and Keith.

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At 10:57 PM, 2008-08-05, anonymous said:
good picks but i think some are a tad on the low end of calibers i would actually pick a larger caliber for every animal on this list

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-09-26, anonymous said:
Can you say "bullet placement?" Any .30 caliber will do.

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At 2:48 AM, 2008-05-06, anonymous said:
Nice artical. It helped we out picking my new gun.

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-07-01, rick said:
the best calibers are definatley the 30-06 and the 300 wsm

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-07-28, PJ said:
My top two picks would be the 280Rem and 35Whelen.

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At 4:35 PM, 2008-01-31, whozo said:
can't you read the picture? There are thirty inches of horn, so the .30 cal. is best after all...ha

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-10-28, anonymous said:
I THINK HE DOESENT EVEN WANT US TO HUNT ANY.

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At 12:00 AM, 2008-10-28, anonymous said said:
Isnt it obvious? he wants us to start hunting WITH antelope

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